Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-11
RATS IN TUE coal MINES

Har rr,sburg Corr. \. \. Sun.
"rp in the coal regions" said the Hon.
James A. S.esny, eS member Of the Ps, u
syivsBiR legislature from Luz.rns county,
aud known throughout the state ~ Truth
full Jsm,s II UrzIeton, "wben one person
wants to pay tho highest possible compli.
ment TO smother PERSONS intelligence, he
say he knows ~ much as = mine rat And
that Is q com pimenf, too, can tell you, for .
mine rat know. enough to satisfy any man.
They not only know heap, but they do
very funny things. l have known them to
break Up a long strike in the mines whtn n
every oihor effort to bring 1t 20 . close had
failed, and 1 remember instances when they
have become no numerous in mines that 1t
was necessary to suspend operations until
they could be tbinned out by attacks Of the
miners.
"In one mine near Iiszleton, where ! live
the rats were numerous . few years sgO
and became no bold that 1t was impossible Tor
the miners To keep any feed TOR themseives,
and even the soap, lamp oil, ana other sup
plies used In their work were devOured by
the army Of rats that uveiran the chambers.
The persistent animals would Knaw through
the tool boxes In a very short time and get At
the supplies. Tie miners were iOrc to
bury their dinner pals beneath piles o: slate
!"
contents, and even they frequently dug
down and secured the viciuals. Many time
miner would be compelled To fight with
horde Of hungry rats that disputed with him
for the possession Ot his lunch.
"ln the mine am speaking OF the rats not
only robbed the mules OF all their Iced, but at
tackled the mules themselves 1t WAS oom.
mon thing Tor miners going IN work IN the
morning, to find the stable floors covered
with hundreds Of rats that had been trampled
tn death a n
favOIits act with the rats to gnaw the fetlOcks
OF the mules, frequently eating them away,
Notwithstanding the scores OF their own mum.
bers that were crushed beneath the mules
feet have myself seen mine rats covering
stable floor . lot deep, having thus fallen
victims 70 their greed for live mule flesh.
In this mine matters got 30 desperate for
the miners that something had TO be done.
The mules grew thin and veal, and could not
do their work. The miners got tired OF losing
their dinners day after day, and 1t seemed 70
b0 Q question Of only snort time when II
would TO impossible to work the mine st ALI
30 ut last the operators ordered the mules
taken out and work abandoned until the rats
could be sxterminated. Poisoned food WAS
scattered about In the mine and left there 10
do its work. This WAS done 30 6ff0ctuslly
that three days sfterwsrd, when the men re-
entered the mine, they found the tunnels 70
thickly strewn with dead rats that the car
oassss filled three mine cars holding ton
and half escr.
GAS . general thing coal miner will not
harm . rat Some miners would 40 soon
think Of killing his children - he would o!
killing mine rat The reason OF that IL ,hst
these animals Will not stay In mine where
danger II threatened. Miners say that theke
rats have an instinct that warns them OF Z
psnding fall OF roof or similar accident In q
mine, and when they are seen scsmperiDg
away from one section OF the mine to another
the workmen know they are giving them Z
danger siRnSl, aud they hurry away In re
sponss to II, and tho chances are that there
will be . csve-in IN the section thus aban
dOned. ! know OF several instances wherl
the lives Of many miners have been saved BY
this belief In the rat ~ danger signal, snG
also Of the loss OF lite by others " no ridiCulet
the idea Ones. near HsxletOu, the rats LETT
mine In drOves, and the men-thers Wer,
hity of them-iost no time In getting Ou
also Before the day was over the entir
section where they had been working caves
In. At Hsrleigh, . few years ego. there We
4 similar case, except that three OF the miner
refused to quit work. The fall Of roof close
them In, and their bodies we're never recov
cred. seventeen mules also perishsd witt
theu. The fall was 10 great that the min